
Laura Rouatree Smith. 





COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 





















The Pixie in the House 


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There was a Pi. 


ixie in 


the house 


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Laura Rountree Smith 

® Author of the • 

Bunnij Books” Etc. 


Illustrations by 

Clara Poiugts IPllsoa 




Chicago 

A.C.McClur^ 6c Co. 

1915 






Copyright 

A. C. McClurg & Co. 
1915 


Published November, 1915 


NOV -5 1915 

©CI.A414422 


The Pixie in the House 








THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


CHAPTER I 


If you ever meet a Pixie 
At the dawn of day, 

Merry little lads and lassies, 

Tell me what you’ll say; 

Pixie is a cunning fellow, 

But he’s very shy, 

And I do not think you’ll catch him, 
Even though you try ! 



HE children came hurrying home from 


school. They left their books and caps 
and dinner pails in the hall, and scampered off 
to play. 

The Little Mother came into the hall and 
said, “Oh dear, what shall I do to make the 
children pick up their things 

There stood four dinner pails in a row! 
There were books and caps and pencils on the 
sofa! Just then the children came running 
in and the Little Mother said, “Hurry, chil- 
dren, hurry, pick up your dinner pails or the 
Pixie will get them!” 


[I] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“Ho! ho! I don’t believe in Pixies,” said 
Fred. 

“I believe in them,” said Jack and Jill 
together. 

Little Mary said, “What is a Pixie?” 

The Little Mother said, “A Pixie is a kind, 
jolly fairy, and he likes good children who 
pick up their things and obey.” 

The children laughed and picked up their 
things. 

The next night when the children came in 
from school they forgot and left their things 
in the hall as before. 

They went off to play. 

Then the most surprising thing happened! 

There zvas a Pixie in the house and he liked 
to help the Little Mother. 

The Pixie peeped out from his hiding-place 
and said, “ I see Jack’s cap and Mary’s pencil, 
and I see Jill’s hair ribbon, and Fred’s knife, 
and I want them all!” 

What do you suppose that comical little 
Pixie did next? 

He just went back to his home in the garret 
and fell asleep ! 


[ 2 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


He said to himself, “I will teach the chil- 
dren a lesson by and by/’ 

That night all the children went to bed 
early, for they were tired. 

Jack and Jill slept in the same room. 
Mary slept with the Little Mother, and Fred 
slept in a room across the hall. 

Suddenly Jill sat up in bed and cried out, 
“What is that^r’ 

Then Jack sat up and listened, too. 

They heard the patter, patter, patter of 
little feet. 

“Maybe it is a Pixie,” said Jack; “Maybe 
it is,” said Jill. 

Fred heard the children talking and heard 
the patter of little feet too, and he said, 
“Why doesn’t someone shut up the old cat^?” 

Fred went into the hall. He heard again 
the patter of little feet, and he caught sight 
of something brown moving rapidly away. 

“ I had a narrow escape that time,” said the 
Pixie to himself as he hid behind a sofa. 

Fred went down cellar. There was the old 
cat asleep in her box. 

“I was fooled that time,” said Fred. 

[3l 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


He went back to bed. 

Next morning after breakfast the children 
were getting ready for school. 

Jack said, “I can’t find my cap!” 

Jill said, “Where is my red hair ribbon^” 

Mary said, “I have lost my pencil!” 

Fred said, “Have any of you children seen 
my knife 

My ! what a time they had as they ran about 
the house looking for their things! 

They said, “We will all be late to school! ” 

Then the Little Mother found an old cap 
for Jack, and a new hair ribbon for Jill, and 
she gave Mary a penny to buy another pencil. 

Fred had gone by that time. 

He said, “I will have to borrow a knife 
today.” 

The Little Mother said, “I wonder where 
the children lost their things ! ” 

T^he Pixie knew I 

What do you suppose the Pixie knew 
about it? 

Late the night before he crept out of his 
hiding place. 

He took the cap and tugged and pulled 
[4] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



with all his might. He worked until he got 
it up into the garret. 

Then he found the hair ribbon and tied it 
about his waist! 

“This will make a fine sash,” he said. 

He had a hard time with the knife; it was 
so heavy and he was such a little fellow! 

When he spied the pencil he set up a shout! 

“Ha! ha! ha! ha!” he cried, and he rubbed 
his fat little hands together. 

“It is just what I have been looking for 
for a whole week,” he said. 

Then the Pixie took the pencil across his 
shoulder and toiled upstairs. 

[5] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


He had three other pencils and for a long 
time he worked away. 

What do you suppose the Pixie was doing*? 
He was making a bedstead for himself! 
“It will be a four-poster,” he said. 

He worked in the moonlight and sang mer- 
rily all to himself. 

He sang to the tune of “Little Brown 
Jug”: 


The little Pixie lives alone, 

In a little wee house he calls his own ; 
When he wants things he helps himself, 
He is a very jolly elf ! 

Ha! ha! ha! don’t you see 
I’m as happy as can be ; 

Ha! ha! ha! don’t you see? 

I am safe, you can’t catch me ! 


[ 6 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 





ouse 




CHAPTER II 


“T WONDER if there is a Pixie in the 
^ house,” said Fred next day. “I don’t 
see where my knife can be.” 

“Where is my hair ribbon *?” asked Jill, 
“and my cap,” said Jack, “and my pencil,” 
said Mary. 

The Little Mother shook her head and said 
with a smile, “I lost a spool of silk yester- 
day.” 

Then the children all began to talk to- 
gether. 

They said, “Did you truly. Mother^ Did 
you lose a spool of silk^? Do you think the 
Pixie took it^ Where can the Pixie hide^” 

The Little Mother laughed and said, “Per- 
haps there is a Pixie in the house; perhaps 
he lives in the garret or the cellar.” 

The children ran merrily off to school. 

At recess, Jill went to her seat crying, and 
the teacher said, “What is the matter, Jill?” 

[ 8 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Jill said, “The children say my cheeks are 
so fat. They made fun of me! ” 

The teacher looked at Jill, and sure enough 
her cheeks were swollen. 

“Have you toothache asked the teacher 
kindly. 

Jill shook her head sadly and the teacher 
let her go home. 

When the other children got in from school 
the Little Mother said, “Jill has the mumps, 
and I have put her in the little room upstairs 
by the garret stairway.” 

“ Oh, oh, oh, let me go up,” said Jack. 

“ Oh, oh, oh, oh, let me get the mumps, too,” 
said Mary. 

Fred said, “You little goosies, then you 
would have to stay at home from school!” 

So it happened that Jill laid all by 
herself in her little bed and she was lone- 
some. 

By and by all the children went back to 
school for the afternoon, and of course the 
Pixie thought that Jill had gone, too. 

He liked to come out from the garret and 
run about and stretch his little legs. 

[9] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



Jill was just wishing something would hap- 
pen, when the door opened a crack and the 
Pixie peeped in. 

He was so surprised to see Jill in bed, that 
he dropped a little bag he had under his arm, 
and he would have run away I am sure if Jill 
had not said, “ I am so lonesome, please come 
in. Sir!” 

Then the Pixie made a deep bow and said, 
“By your leave. Madam.” 

He screwed his little old face up into a 
thousand wrinkles, and he came into the room, 
and began to hop. about in the funniest way 
you ever saw. 

Jill laughed until she cried, then suddenly 
the Pixie said, “Hi! ho! I forgot mv money 
bag!” 


[lO] 



THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


He ran into the hall where he had left his 
money bag after he had first seen Jill. 

The Pixie sat down on the floor and opened 
the money bag. Out rolled dark pennies and 
light pennies and old pennies and new pen- 
nies and all kinds of pennies. 

The Pixie winked his eye and said, ‘‘Don’t 
you interrupt while I count: One, two, five, 
seven, three, nine — 

“That is not the way to count,” said Jill; 
“you get it all mixed up.” 

Then the Pixie began again: 

One, two, bright and new, 

Three, four, plenty more. 

Five, six, do not mix. 

Seven, eight, pile them straight. 

Twelve, nine, how they shine. 

“No, no,” cried Jill, “you left out nine, 
and then put it in the wrong place ! ” 

Then the Pixie turned a somersault. 

“Of course, I left out nine,” he shouted. 
“To tell you the truth I don't like nine!" 

“Let me count for you,” said Jill, and she 
started to count while the Pixie put the shin- 
ing pennies in piles. 

[II] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


When Jill said “nine” the Pixie shook his 
hst at her fiercely. “I won’t have nine, I tell 
you, I don’t like nine,” he said. 

Then Jill laughed until she cried. 

“Never mind,” said the Pixie, “it always 
goes like this; I can’t count straight to save 
my life.” 

“What are you going to do with all those 
pennies*?” asked Jill. 

The Pixie laid one finger on the side of his 
nose and said: 

What do you suppose? 

Old Santa Claus knows, 

Old Santa Claus knows. 

“Are you saving them to buy Christmas 
presents?” asked Jill. 

The Pixie nodded, “I am going to buy a 
rabbit for Mary,” he said, but he got no 
farther, for just then he heard a step in the 
hall below. 

He gathered up all the pennies and put 
them back into his money bag in a hurry. 

Then he tucked his money bag under his 
arm and hid in the closet. 

[ 12 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


He left the closet door a crack open! 

The Little Mother came in to ask Jill how 
she felt. 

The Little Mother drew down the shade 
and told Jill she had better go to sleep. Then 
she went quietly down stairs. 

“I don’t want to go to sleep,” said Jill. 

Just then the Pixie peeped out from the 
closet and said, “Little folks should always 
mind, I will leave you a penny if you go to 
sleep right away!” 

“Will you come back again tomorrow?” 
asked Jill. 

The Pixie nodded, he slipped a bright 
penny under her pillow, and was gone in less 
than no time. 

Then Jill fell asleep. 

Next morning she woke up and thought 
about the Pixie. 

She wondered if it was all a dream, or if 
there really was a Pixie in the house. 

She felt under her pillow. 

There was a round, shining penny. 

“I wonder if the Pixie will come today,” 
she said. 


[13] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 




CHAPTER III 


TT was the last night of October, and the 
^ children were busy after school. They 
were making jack-o’-lanterns. 

They had four large pumpkins. 

Fred was taking the inside of the pumpkins 
out. 

He was fixing them with his new knife. 

“ How will you make eyes and nose ? ” asked 
Jill. 

Ha ! ha ! ha ! it is a trick, 

Better stop and answer quick, 

cried some one. The children looked about, 
they could see no one in the woodshed. 

‘‘Some one did speak,” said Jack and Jill 
together. 

Mary said, “Where are the candles for our 
jack-o’-lanterns? ” 

The children said, “Oh, dear, we forgot the 
candles ! ” 

“Who will buy the candles?” asked Fred. 
[15] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“We will go,” said Jack and Jill, “we will 
get them at the grocer’s.” 

Jack said, “Let me carry your pennies.” 

Jill said, “No, thank you, I will carry my 
own pennies.” 

They went along with a hop and a skip 
and a jump,” until they came to the grocer’s. 

Jill said, “Oh, oh, oh, I have lost two of 
my pennies.” 

Jack whispered, “Where is the penny that 
the Pixie gave you?” 

Jill unfastened her coat and looked in an 
inside pocket for the penny the Pixie had 
given her. 

There, safe and sound, was the penny. 

“Let me see,” said Jack, “between us, we 
lost one, two, three, four, five, six, seven pen- 
nies. We had better go back and look for 
them.” 

Then the funniest thing happened! 

The penny that Jill held rolled right out 
of her hand and seven other pennies came roll- 
ing after it! 

“Count again,” said Jill, clapping her 
hands. 

[i6] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Jack counted again, and seven more pen- 
nies came rolling along. 

“Let us pick them all up,” said Jack. 

So they picked up the pennies and put them 
in their pockets. But Jill kept the Pixie’s 
penny held fast in her hand. 

They went into the grocery story. 

The grocer counted out four candles. 

The children handed him some pennies. 

“Those are not real pennies,” he said. 

Then Jill began to cry, and Jack said they 
really must have the candles, and that they 
had lost their pennies on the way. He said 
they needed the candles for their jack-o’-lan- 
terns. 

Then the grocer laughed until his sides 
ached, and he said, “Never mind, I have some 
nice little Christmas candles I will give you, 
and you keep those funny looking pennies.” 

He counted out this time two red candles 
and two yellow candles, and he gave them 
to Jack and Jill. 

The fourteen pennies the children had laid 
on the counter began to dance. They rolled 
off the counter on to the floor. 

[17] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The grocer said, “It must be a Hallowe’en 
joke.” 

A little laugh was heard and a voice cried: 

Ha ! ha ! ho ! ho ! It may be so, 

But how could a big, fat grocer know? 

The grocer laughed again and the children 
ran home. 

Fred had the jack-o’-lanterns all ready. 

He had cut out wonderful eyes and mouth 
and nose for each of them. 

The jack-o’-lanterns were all ready for the 
candles. 

They put the candles inside. 

Fred struck a match and it went out; he 
struck another match and it went out. He 
tried again, and again, and every time the 
matches went out. 

“These are funny matches not to stay lit,” 
said Fred, and someone laughed, and cried: 

Come feed me now, it is my turn, 

Then the matches all will burn! 

“It is the Pixie,” said the children. 

Fred said, “I don’t believe in the Pixie, 
but ask him what he wants ! ” 

[i8] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



Out came floating an af>^lc Reeling 


“What do you want, Pixie, dear?” asked 
Jill. A thin little voice answered: 

Oh apples and spice 
And everything nice! 

Now, what do you suppose Jack and Jill 
did? They got a cunning little table, and 
put on it a nice white cloth. They put on it 
a knife and plate and spoon. 

Then they got an apple and a cookie for 
the Pixie. Then the Pixie called : 

Please go away, the Pixie is shy, 

And don’t you speak, or wink an eye I 

The children all ran out of the woodshed, 
and in a few minutes out came floating an 
apple-peeling, which curled around in the fun- 
niest way. 


[19] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


‘‘I guess the Pixie is done,” the twins said. 

They looked in the woodshed and the apple 
and cookie were gone. 

Fred said, “Now, I hope the Pixie is satis- 
fied.” 

Then the Pixie answered: 

Supper was good, but how do you think, 

A Pixie can live with nothing to drink? 

Then the children got a tin cup of water 
and put it out under the haystack. 

This time they lit their candles and all 
went well. 

“I don’t believe in the Pixie,” said Fred. 
“Someone was just fooling us!” 

The children all went in to supper. 

The Pixie came out and got his cup of 
water. 

“I will teach Fred a lesson or two,” said 
he. Then the Pixie said a few magic words 
and he hopped inside one of the jack-o’-lan- 
terns, and drew a yellow cloak about him. 

After supper Fred gave the children their 
jack-o’-lanterns and started toward his own. 
He was going to pick it up, when it began 
[ 20 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


to walk about. It jumped right on top of 
the haystack; then it jumped down, and be- 
gan to follow Fred. 

The funny jack-o’-lantern chased him down 
the walk and out into the road! 

The children all ran after to see the fun. 

Then a thin voice piped out: 

You don’t think I’m a Pixie, alas! alack! 

Ha! ha! come Fred and take that back! 

Then the Pixie jumped out of the jack-o’- 
lantern and jumped on top of it for a few 
seconds and disappeared. 

“I guess I will have to believe in the Pixie,” 
Fred said. 

He went to pick up his jack-o’-lantern, but 
it fell to pieces in his hands! 

Then he heard a voice say: 

Ha ! ha ! ha ! go back and play, 

You’ll learn some new thing every day! 

The children laughed and ran about. 

They put one jack-o’-lantern on a post. 

They put one on the kitchen window sill. 

They put one on top of the pump. 

[ 21 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


When at last they went to bed, and Fred 
went into his room, he set up a shout. 

All the children came running in to see what 
was the matter. 

His bed was all tumbled up. 

His pillows were standing on end! 

All the clothes from his closet were piled 
on the chairs. 

The children shouted, “The Pixie has been 
here.’’ They made such a noise that the Lit- 
tle Mother came up to see what was the 
matter. 

She said, “Never mind, we will all help 
put the room in order,” and they all did help. 

Late that night Fred had a funny dream. 

He thought a jack-o’-lantern looked in at 
his window and said : 

Pixie works till set of sun, 

So he has to have some fun, 

Late at night on Hallowe’en, 

Fairies come up o’er the green. 

You must believe these things are true, 

Or Pixie’ll play a trick on you! 

Fred rubbed his eyes, he woke up and it 
was morning! 


[ 22 ] 


CHAPTER IV 


\ UNT Rachel was making pies for Thanks- 
^ ^ giving. 

Aunt Rachel was the old, colored Mammy. 

She was making mince pies and apple pies. 

She was making big pies and little pies. 

She hummed a song as she worked. 

The refrain of the song was this: 

Put one for Pixie on the shelf, 

So he may come and help himself! 

Just at this very minute Jill stuck her head 
in the door. 

“Do you really believe in a Pixie?” she 
said. 

Aunt Rachel said, “Help me roll out this 
pie crust for a little pie, and honey Pll tell 
you all I know about a Pixie. Why honey, 
chile, I knowed about a Pixie befo’ you was 
born!” 

Jill took a seat on a high stool and began 
to roll out a very little pie. 

[23] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 





I hnowed about a Pixie hefo* you was horn 


• » 




THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“It happened long ago, when I was a chile, 
like you,” began Aunt Rachel. 

“One day I asked to help make pies, and 
my mammy said, ‘Wash yo’ hands, chile, and 
yo’ can help.’ So I washed my hands and put 
on a clean apron, and my mammy and I made 
some pies. 

“I said, ‘Ain’t we going to make some little 
pies, too?’ 

“My mammy said, ‘What for should we 
make little pies? Are there any more children 
in the house?’ 

“I said, ‘Perhaps Pixie would like one?’ 

“Then my mammy said, ‘You clear out of 
this place, there is no Pixie in this house.’ 

“Next morning early, when mammy went 
to work, she gave a cry, and what do you sup- 
pose was the matter? 

“All the pies but one were gone, and that 
pie had the track of little feet across it, just 
as plain as could be! 

“Mammy said, ‘It was the black cat,’ but 
the pies were gone, plate and all ! ” 

“Have you made a little pie for the Pixie 
ever since?” asked Jill. 

. [25] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Aunt Rachel nodded, and said, ‘‘Roll out 
the pie crust very thin, for Pixie is mighty par- 
ticular what he eats.” 

Soon the little pie was done and slipped into 
the oven. 

“Does he always eat his own pie?” asked 
Jill. 

Aunt Rachel said, “ Sometimes he do, honey, 
and sometimes he do not, but he leaves my big 
pies alone ! ” 

Then Aunt Rachel went about her work 
singing again a song about the Pixie with the 
refrain. 


Put one for Pixie on the shelf 
Or he may come and help himself. 

Jill ran out to tell' the story to Jack, but 
she could not find Jack anywhere. 

Fred said he thought Jack had gone to look 
for her. 

Then Jill sat down and told about the Pixie 
and the pies. 

Fred did not answer a word; he just sat still 
and whistled. 

“You do believe in the Pixie since Hal- 
[26] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


lowe’en, don’t you*?” asked Jill with a twinkle 
in her eyes. 

“No, I don’t,” said Fred. “That was just 
a Hallowe’en trick, I guess, as anybody may 
have upset my room.” 

Just then a low whistle was heard. 

The children looked about but could see no 
one. 

“Did you find your knife?” asked Jill. 

Fred shook his head. 

Just then that funny little whistle was heard 
again. 

“ I found my hair ribbon,” said Jill. 

Just then Jack came in the gate. 

“I have something to tell Jill,” he said. 

Jack and Jill went off together. 

Jack said he had taken a long walk down 
the road and had found a funny little log 
house. 

There were six children playing about the 
house and one of them asked Jill for something 
to eat. 

“Let us tell Mamma,” said Jill. So they 
went in search of the Little Mother. 

The Little Mother was sewing. 

[27] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



She was making some new clothes for Jack 
and Jill. 

“Please, Mother, let us take them a basket 
of food on Thanksgiving,” said Jill. 

The Little Mother said, “You don’t need 
to wait for Thanksgiving; you may take them 
a pail of the nice fresh milk and some cookies 
tonight.” 

After supper Jack and Jill took a pail of 
milk and a bag of cookies, and started down 
the road. 

“Don’t bring any children back with you,” 
said Fred. “We don’t want to be like the 
Old Woman in the Shoe” 

[28] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Fred loved to tease the twins. As they did 
not answer he called again, more loudly : 

Jack and Jill went down the hill, 

To fetch a pail of water. 

Jack and Jill did not hear him this time. 

They had gone down the road beyond the 
turn. 

When they reached the little log house there 
were no children playing outside, so Jack and 
Jill went up to the door and knocked. 

A voice said, “Come in,” and Jack and Jill 
went inside. 

A woman sat in a chair holding a new baby. 

It was a very new baby, indeed. 

It had a turned-up nose and a red skin. 

Jill said, “What a lovely, wee, baby!” 

The children all crowded about Jack and 
Jill, and they all talked at once. They said, 
“What have you got in the pail?” “What 
have you got in the bag?” “What is your 
name, and your’s,” pointing to Jack and Jill. 

Jill said they had brought a pail of milk 
and cookies. The woman said, “Thank you.” 

Then they went homeward. 

[29] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“Do you think that was a pretty baby?” 
asked Jack. 

Jill said, “I think it was cuter than a doll.” 
They said, “We will tell the Little Mother 
how poor that family is; maybe we can take 
them something else.” 

Jill suddenly stopped still in the road. 
“What is the matter?” asked Jack. 

Jill said, “I have a new story to tell you.” 
Then she told Aunt Rachel’s story to Jack. 
She always told everything to Jack. 

Then Jack laughed and clapped his hands. 
He said, “Let us make up a song of our 
own about the Pixie.’ 

They made up this merry little song: 

The Pixie is a merry elf. 

He likes to go and help himself; 

Pixies all delight to play, 

But at dawn they hide away. 

Then Jack and Jill both stopped still. 

Some one was softly whistling the tune they 
had sung. 

“It must be the Pixie himself,” said Jack. 
Jill laughed and they ran merrily home. 


[30] 


CHAPTER V 


N ext morning when Jack and Jill woke 
up it was very early. 

Jack said, “Are you awake, Jill^” 

Jill said, “I am awake, and I have been 
thinking.’’ 

“What were you thinking about asked 
Jack. 

Jill said, “I was thinking about the children 
in the log house, and particularly about the 
new baby.” 

Jack said, “I was thinking about the chil- 
dren, too.” 

Jill said, “I wish I had another penny like 
the one the Pixie gave me.” 

Jack said, “ If we had some pennies we could 
buy some things for the new baby.” 

Then the funniest thing happened; you 
never could guess what it was! 

Jill slipped her hand under her pillow and 
brought out a big, new, shining penny ! 

[31] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Then Jack felt under his pillow and brought 
out a new penny! 

“ Oh, oh,” cried the children together. “ The 
Pixie has been here; he has heard us talking! ” 

It was Saturday morning so the children did 
not have to go to school. 

The Little Mother said at the breakfast 
table, “I want to make a visit at the log house 
today, if someone will show me the way!” 

“I will show you the way,” said Fred. “I 
want to go, too,” said Mary. 

Jack and Jill said nothing. 

The Little Mother looked at Jack and Jill 
and said, “Don’t you want to go to the log 
house. Jack and Jill?” 

The twins squeezed each other’s hands 
under the table and said, “If you please, we 
have other plans for the day! ” 

Fred said, “Does the Pixie know your 
plans?” 

Then Jack and Jill laughed. 

After breakfast Jack and Jill found their 
coats and caps and mittens and went to town. 

“What do you suppose the twins are up 
to?” asked Fred. 


[32] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



J^any interesting Things in the ^^indow 




THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The Little Mother laughed and shook her 
head. 

The twins knew their own business. 

Now where do you suppose they were 
going? 

They were going to the store with their new 
pennies to buy something for the new baby! 

They talked as they went down the road 
hand in hand. 

They wondered what the new baby would 
like. 

“Perhaps she would like a cup and saucer,” 
said Jill, “if we could find one small enough.” 

When they came to the store they stood 
outside and looked at the window. 

There were so many interesting things in 
the window. There were toys and candy. 

Jack suddenly spied a very small coat. 

It was a baby’s coat. 

It was a pretty blue coat. 

“I will buy the coat for the baby,” said 
Jack. 

Then Jill saw a blue hood. 

“I will buy the blue hood,” she said. 

A funny little old woman kept the store. 
[34] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


When Jack asked to buy the coat and Jill 
asked to buy the hood, the little old woman 
laughed. 

She said, “Who will pay for the coat? Who 
will pay for the hood?” 

Jack and Jill answered together, “We 
will.” 

Then the twins held out their pennies. 

The little old woman said, “Those are not 
real pennies.” 

Then the most surprising thing happened. 

An old gentleman who stood in the store 
came up and said, “Show me the pennies; they 
are very odd pennies.” He looked hard at 
Jack and he looked hard at Jill. Then he 
said, “I will give each of you a silver dollar 
for those pennies if you promise me one 
thing!” 

“What must we proniise?” asked Jack. 

The old gentleman said, “You may spend 
ninety-five cents on someone else, but you 
must each spend five cents on yourselves” 

The twins laughed, of course, and held out 
their pennies to the old gentleman. 

He gave them each a round, shining dollar. 

[35] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The little old woman said, “What do you 
want of a baby coat and hood?” 

Then the twins told the whole story about 
the poor children in the log house. 

They said they loved the new baby best 
of all. 

The old woman said two dollars would be 
pretty cheap for the coat and hood, but after 
all they had been in the window and were a 
little faded. 

The twins said, “Two times ninety- five 
cents.” 

The old woman did up the coat and hood 
and the twins said to the old gentleman, 
“Please may we save our five-cent pieces and 
spend them tomorrow or next day?” 

The old gentleman said, “It is all the same 
to me if you spend them on yourselves.” 

Then the twins went out of the store. 

Jack said, “I wonder if those were the Pixie 
pennies?” 

Jill said, “They were queer-looking pen- 
nies.” 

When the twins got home they found that 
the Little Mother and Fred and Mary had 

[36] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



The Little Toother hissed them 


been to the log house, and the Little Mother 
said that it was a poor place. 

They all planned to take a basket of clothes 
to the log house on Thanksgiving Day. 

Then Jack and Jill told their story. 

When they had finished, the Little Mother 
kissed them both. 

She said the new baby would look sweet in 
the blue coat and hood by and by. 

Then Jack and Jill whispered something to 
each other. 

I do not know what they said. 

Perhaps the Pixie knew. 


[37] 


CHAPTER VI 


J ACK and Jill woke up next morning and 
sang a Thanksgiving song: 

Glad Thanksgiving has come again, 

We’ll merrily sing heigho! 

The sleigh bells ring with a merry sound, 

As over the ground we go, 

To grandpa’s farm we speed away, 

We go to spend Thanksgiving Day, 

Who would not now be glad and gay. 

We merrily sing heigho ! 

Then they heard the jingle of sleigh bells. 
“What is that?” said Jack. 

“What is that?” said Jill. 

“It sounds like a sleigh,” said Jill. 

Fred called in, “Perhaps it is the Pixie.” 
Little Mary woke up and said, “ Oh, oh, oh, 
I wonder if it can be grandpa! ” 

Then, what do you suppose the children 
did? 

They all got up and looked out of the 
window. 


[38] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


There, sure enough, was grandpa in his big 
sleigh. 

“Hurrah!” shouted the children. 

“Hurry, hurry, and come with me,” cried 
grandpa. 

Did the children dress fast, and did grandpa 
come in to breakfast? Well, I guess the an- 
swer is, “Yes.” 

Grandpa said with a twinkle in his eye, 
“Who will go with me to the farm today?” 

“ I will ! ” “I will ! ” “I will ! ” shouted 
all the children together. 

The Little Mother said, “What will we do 
with all our pies?” 

“Bring the pies along,” said grandpa. 
“Put them in a basket.” 

“Where is grandma?” asked the Little 
Mother. 

Grandpa said that grandma had a crick in 
her back and was afraid of the cold. 

Aunt Rachel looked in and said she had the 
dinner all started. 

Grandpa said, “Never mind, we will take 
it with us.” 

Then Aunt Rachel said she would go, too, 
[39] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


so grandma would not need to do any of the 
cooking. 

Grandpa said, “ The first child to get in my 
sleigh shall have a quarter, but, mind you, put 
on your rubbers and mittens and cap and coat 
first!” 

Then there was a scramble for wraps, you 
may be sure. 

The children laughed and cried out, 
“Where is my cap^?” “Where are my mit- 
tens?” “Where are my rubbers?’ 

Who do you think was the first one in the 
sleigh? 

Little Mary was first of all, and Fred was 
the last one to get in. 

“Where is Fred?” the others cried when 
they were ready. 

Fred was in the hall. He said, “I cannot 
find a single thing; I have lost my cap and 
coat and rubbers.” 

The children looked up stairs and they 
looked down stairs and they could not find 
Fred’s things. 

“Perhaps the Pixie could help us,” said 
Jack. 


[40] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 




Little J^ary was the First 





THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Then Jill ran up stairs to the door that led 
into the garret and said : 

Pixie dear, we want to ride, 

Caps and mittens do not hide. 

Pixie dear, make no delay, 

For grandpa dear waits in his sleigh. 

Then what do you suppose happened? 

The Pixie whispered through the keyhole: 

Close your eyes, count one, two, three. 

Open them and then you’ll see! 

Caps and mittens I did hide, 

But here they are now, side by side. 

Jill did as she was told. She closed her eyes 
and counted, and then opened her eyes. 

There were Fred’s things lying beside her. 

She called Fred. He put on his wraps and 
whistled a merry tune. 

“All ready,” cried grandpa, and they tucked 
themselves in under the fur robe. 

Away, away, away they rode, across the 
snowy roads to grandpa’s farm. 

The children laughed and sang and said, 
“We are so glad to have Thanksgiving come.” 

When they got to the farm grandma was so 
glad to see them that she forgot all about the 
[42] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


crick in her back, and came running out to kiss 
them all. 

The dog and the cat came out to meet them, 
too. 

Such a great hugging and kissing went on. 

Then grandpa said, “Take out the baskets; 
everyone help carry the baskets.” 

Sure enough, the sleigh was loaded with 
baskets. 

All sorts of good things were in them. 

One basket stuck tight to the bottom of the 
sleigh. 

It would not come out ! 

Grandpa and Fred could not get it out. 

“It must be frozen down,” said grandpa. 

Rachel went to get a hatchet to cut the bas- 
ket out. 

The children danced about the sleigh and 
said, “ Maybe the Pixie is in the basket.” 

Then they ran after Rachel to help her find 
a hatchet. 

When they came back the basket was open 
on the ground. 

“That is the most peculiar thing I ever 
saw,” said Aunt Rachel. 

[ 43 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



‘‘It was the Pixie,” called the children and 
they went laughing and dancing into the 
house. 

Such a fine dinner they had, and such fun 
they had all day, roasting apples and nuts. 

When it was evening grandpa said, “Now 
pile into the sleigh, for I must take you home 
again.” 


[44] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


All would have gone well, I am sure, if Fred 
could have found his cap and mittens. 

It was very cold, and he could not go with- 
out his cap and mittens. 

They searched about the house, and at last 
grandma said, “Never mind, Fred shall stay 
here all night.” 

“Maybe the Pixie took Fred’s cap and mit- 
tens,” said Mary. 

“I don’t believe in Pixie at all,” said Fred. 

Then Jack and Jill laughed. 

On the way home the children sang songs. 

The Little Mother said, “I don’t see why 
Fred is the one who always loses his things.” 

Jack and Jill looked at each other and 
nodded. 

They thought that the Pixie knew. 

When they arrived home they kissed 
grandpa good-bye and said, “Do come for us 
again. Grandpa ; we have had a happy Thanks- 
giving Day.” 

Where do you suppose the Pixie was*? 

He was cuddled up in a basket in the back 
of the sleigh, fast asleep! 


[45] 


CHAPTER VII 


Merry Christinas comes, you know, 
Ting-a-ling, a-ling, 

Santa rides across the snow, 

Ting-a-ling, a-ling. 

Pixie’s going now because. 

He must help old Santa Claus. 

Pixie whistled and sang and ran about 
^ in the garret. Suddenly he stopped be- 
fore a big calendar and he whistled another 
tune. 

Then he clapped his hands and gleefully 
shouted, ‘‘Hurrah! hurrah! hurrah! It is the 
first of December and I must go to help Santa 
Claus in his workshop! Ha! ha! I must pack 
my little bag! ” 

You would have laughed to see the Pixie 
pack his little bag. 

He put a cap and some string and an old red 
handkerchief into the bag, and he crept quietly 
down stairs. 


[46] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“I wonder if the children will miss me?” 
he said. 

Then he suddenly had an idea. 

He turned three somersaults and went to a 
box in the corner where he hid the children’s 
things. 

He pulled out Fred’s cap and mittens. 

Then he crept along the hall. 

My, how the boards in that house did creak. 

He put the cap and mittens in Fred’s closet, 
and was just coming out himself, when he 
heard Jack and Jill talking. 

Jack said, “I do not know what to do with 
the baby’s blue coat now.” 

Jill said, “I do not know what to do with 
the baby’s blue hood now.” 

What do you suppose had happened to make 
the twins talk this way? 

The poor family had moved out of the 
house on Thanksgiving Day and the door was 
fastened. 

“We might save the things for someone for 
Christmas,” said Jack. 

Just then the Little Mother called, “Come, 
Jack; come, Jill; come help Mother?” 

[47] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



R-iding Away to the Post-Office 





THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Then Jill ran down stairs and helped 
Mother wash dishes and Jack ran down stairs 
and brought in wood, and they were just as 
busy as could be. 

The Pixie said, “I can get out of this closet 
and go on all the way down stairs safely now. 
Bless my heart, how I do love the twins ; I will 
ask Santa Claus to send them some nice gifts. 

Just then Jack set down the wood basket 
and shouted, '‘See who is coming!” 

Fred was riding up the road on grandpa’s 
very oldest white horse. 

“Did you find your mittens'?” shouted Jill. 

“Give me a ride, too,” shouted Jack. 

So Fred put Jack on behind and Jill on in 
front and they went riding away to the post- 
office. 

They stopped at the post-office to see if there 
was any mail. 

There were two letters for the Little 
Mother. Jack held one and Jill held one. 

When they got home the Little Mother read 
the letters. 

One was from their big, fat daddy, and he 
said he was coming home on Christmas Day! 

[49] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


One was from Aunt Lucy who was ill. 

The Little Mother said, “Hurry, hurry, 
children, help me get off to see Aunt Lucy 
today.” 

The Pixie seemed to know something un- 
usual was going on, for he had gotten only as 
as far as the garden when he decided to go back 
up into the garret for a while. 

Fred said, “I will bring down the trunk 
from the garret. Mother.” 

“Let me help pack it,” said Jack. 

“Let me help, too,” said Jill. 

So all the children went hurrying up to the 
garret. 

The Pixie had just time to crawl into one 
of the boxes where he hid things when the chil- 
dren came in. 

It was very dark in the garret. 

“I will play a trick on Fred,” thought the 
Pixie. 

The Pixie buzzed like a fly. 

“What a noisy fly,” thought Fred. 

Then that comical little Pixie meowed like 
a cat and barked like a dog and whinnied like 
a horse. 


[50] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Fred was so excited he could not stand still. 
The Little Mother said, “Hurry, hurry, chil- 
dren or I will miss my train ! ” 

At last everything was packed ready, and 
the children all rode in the bus to see the Little 
Mother off. 

“Will you be home tomorrow or next day?” 
asked Jack . 

The Little Mother said she would be home 
next week. 

She whispered something to Jack and Jill 
as she said good-bye. I think it was some- 
thing about the Pixie. 

The next day everything went wrong I 

The cook was cross, the children were late 
to school, the house was very lonesome, and 
finally at night Jack and Jill cried themselves 
to sleep. 

They had not been asleep long when the 
light from a tiny little lantern wakened them. 

“What’s that?” said Jack. 

“What’s that?” cried Jill. 

There stood the Pixie in the doorway. 

“Scamper into your clothes and come with 
me as quickly as you can,” he said. 

[51I 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The children dressed by the light of the 
Pixie’s little lantern. 

Then they followed the Pixie out of the 
house and down the road. 

“Where are we going asked Jack. 

The Pixie wdnked his eye and said, 

Fiddle-de-de, you can’t catch me 
With just plain questions, don’t you see? 

They went on until they came to the little 
log house. A light was shining in the window. 

“We can’t get in; the house is locked,” 
said Jack. 

Then the Pixie said. 

Little fellow, wait and see. 

The Pixie has a magic key. 

Then the Pixie felt in his pocket for the key. 
Sure enough, it was there. It fitted in the lock 
and they went inside. 

“ Oh,” said Jack. “ Ah,” said Jill. 

The Pixie said, 

Ha, ha, ha, come with me, 

Come and drink a little tea. 

There in the middle of the floor stood a tea 
table with three little chairs around it. 

[52] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



On the table was a fine supper. 

When they began to eat their supper the 
Pixie said, “Pll tell you a secret; I am going 
to help Santa Claus ! ” 

‘‘Oh, oh, oh, tell us about it!” cried the 
twins. 

Then the Pixie told them a wonderful story 
about Santa Claus’ workshop. Even as he 
talked they heard the jingle of sleigh bells. 

“Will Santa Claus come?” asked Jack. 

“Will he come in his sleigh?” asked Jill. 
[53] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The Pixie lowered his voice to a whisper. 
He said, 

Jack and Jill, wait and see, 

Then you’ll know who comes for me ! 

The sleigh dashed by the house this time, 
then another passed, and another. 

The Pixie stood on his head and remarked, 
‘‘Hi! ho! Old Santa is late.” 

Then he ran to a crack in the wall, and took 
out a little red box. 

“Put in your hand. Jack,” he said; “put in 
your hand, Jill.” 

The twins did as they were told and each 
one drew out a tiny key from the box. 

“What are the keys for^?” they asked to- 
gether. 

The Pixie then did the funniest thing. 
Without a word of good-bye he whisked up the 
chimney! When he got up to the roof he 
called down the chimney. 

Try them often; you will see 
You each hold a magic key. 

Then the children could hear sleigh bells 
way off in the distance. They said, “It is 
[54] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Santa Claus; he is coming for our dear little 
Pixie.” 

The sleigh stopped, and in a few minutes 
went on. 

Jack said, “Come, Jill, we must go home.” 

They opened the door. What was their sur- 
prise to see the Pixie sitting on the doorstep! 

“Why did you go on up the chimney?” 
asked Jack. 

“ Why didn’t you go off with Santa Claus ? ” 
asked Jill. 

“Oh, that was just for exercise,” said the 
Pixie. “Now home and to bed; be quick,” 
he said. So the Pixie took hold of the chil- 
dren’s hands and raced them home as fast as 
they could go. 

“Put your keys under your pillow,” whis- 
pered the Pixie, and he was gone. 

Next morning the children tied ribbons to 
their keys and put them round their necks. 
They searched for the Pixie, but he was gone. 

Fred came down late to breakfast. 

“Did you find your cap and mittens?” 
asked the twins. 

Fred shook his head! 

[55] 


CHAPTER VIII 



HE Little Mother came home with all 


^ kinds of packages and bundles. Every- 
one in the house went down town, and every- 
one came home with packages. 

Jack and Jill were so busy planning what 
they would put in the toe of mamma’s stock- 
ing that they quite forgot about their magic 
keys. 

The next day school was out and the chil- 
dren had a week’s holiday because Christmas 
was coming. Jack and Jill went sliding down 
hill. Suddenly they both heard a great buz- 
zing. 

“What is that?” said Jill. 

They heard the buzzing sound again and 
again. They thought of the Pixie and the 
magic keys. 

Jack and Jill ran to the little log house as 
fast as their legs could carry them. They 
opened the door and stood inside. 


[ 5^1 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


As soon as they got inside they heard a merry 
voice call, 

Ha, ha, ha, two, six, nine, five. 

You’ve come, sure as I’m alive! 

“The Pixie, the Pixie,’^ cried the children. 
“ Where is he ? Where is he ? ” 

They heard the Pixie cry, “Ha, ha,” but 
they could not find him. 

“There must be some other door,” said Jack. 

“There must be a door to Santa Land,” 
said Jill. 

They looked everywhere for another door 
but they could not find one. 

Their little fingers were cold and they shiv- 
ered in the cold house. They were about to go 
home when a voice cried. 

By the chimney look and see, 

Xhere is a lock for every key. 

Then Jack and Jill looked at the right of 
the chimney and, sure enough, there was a lit- 
tle keyhole. 

Jill looked at the left of the chimney, and 
sure enough there was another little keyhole. 

They fitted their keys into the keyholes and, 
[57] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


click, click, two little doors opened, and they 
stood in the Toy Country! 

“Run, run,” said Jack. “We must find 
Old Santa Claus.” 

So they ran through the streets of Toy Land 
and found all the toys alive. 

The dolls looked out of the Toy House win- 
dows and said, “ Oh, see the giants ! ” 

The tin soldiers came out and stood in a 
circle about Jack and Jill. 

The tin soldiers said, “You are our prison- 
ers for a month and a day and half a year.” 

“Oh, please let us go,” said Jill. 

Jack said, “We really mean no harm; we are 
only looking for Santa Claus’ workshop.” 

The tin soldiers said, “There is only one 
chance for you; we will not let you go unless 
you can say a rhyme backward.” 

“What is the rhyme?” asked Jack and Jill. 

The smallest tin soldier winked one eye and 
said. 

Jack and Jill went up the hill 
To fetch a pail of water. 

Then Jack and Jill laughed until they cried. 

“Say it,” shouted the tin soldiers all at once. 
[58] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Then Jack and Jill said a few words but it 
was not a bit easy to say the lines backward. 

‘'Say it right or we will hre,” said the tin 
soldiers. 

I don’t know what Jack and Jill would have 
done, but just then a paper kite came floating 
down. 

The string of the kite fell right into Jack’s 
hand. 

On the kite that very rhyme was written 
backward. 

Then the children recited it together and the 
tin soldiers called, “Forward, march! ” 

They marched away over the hill. 

Jack and Jill ran after them laughing and 
shouting, “Which is the way to Santa Claus’ 
workshop; you did not tell us after all! ” 

Then the children asked other toys, but no 
one would tell them. The dogs began to bark 
and the dolls said, “Lock the children up in 
the Candy House ! ” 

The children ran into the Candy House, not 
knowing where they were going, and a big wax 
doll locked them in.” 

Then Jack began to eat one of the window 
[6o] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


sills, it looked so good; and Jill began to eat 
a door knob ! 

“Oh, dear,” they said, “this candy is too 
sweet! ” 

Just then they looked at the chimne)^ in the 
Candy House. 

There were two little slippers stuck in the 
chimney. 

Ha, ha, ha, pull me out, 

Fm stuck fast without a doubt! 

called a shrill voice, and Jack and Jill looked 
up and saw the Pixie stuck fast in the chimney. 

They took hold of him and pulled him 
down ! 

“Why do we find you so often in a chim- 
ney?” asked Jack. 

Then the Pixie jumped head over heels and 
said, 

I must practise it because, 

I go down the chimney for Santa Claus! 

“Oh,” said Jack, “I often wondered why 
Santa Claus did not stick in the chimney.” 

“He did stick once,” said the Pixie, “and 
Mrs. Santa Claus had to brush his hair and 

[6i] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


beard for a week to get the soot all out. Now 
he sends me down the chimney.” 

“Where does Santa Claus stay while you 
fill the stockings?” asked Jill. 

Upon the house top he will stay, 

Tucked so snugly in his sleigh, 

said the Pixie. Then he winked slyly and 
said, “Why don’t you talk in rhyme? It is 
much easier.” 

Then Jack and Jill told the Pixie about the 
verse they had to recite backward, and be 
laughed until he cried! 

“I made the kite,” said the Pixie, “and it 
was lucky for you that a Chinaman taught me 
to write backward.” 

Jack and Jill were sitting on a rug by the 
fire and, will you believe it, while the Pixie 
was talking their heads sank lower and lower 
and they fell asleep? 

The Pixie went to one of the sugar windows 
and looked out. He was listening for the 
sound of sleigh bells. 

Pretty soon he heard a sleigh. 

“Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” rang the bells. 

[62] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“Click, click,” sounded the reindeer hoofs. 

The Pixie put his fist through the window 
and made a little hole. 

He called to Santa as the sleigh dashed by. 

Oh Santa Claus, come take a peep 
At Jack and Jill, they’re fast asleep. 

Then in a minute the reindeer stopped, and 
Santa Claus, dressed in fur from top to toe, 
got out of the sleigh. 

“What mischief are you up to now?” asked 
Santa Claus of the Pixie as he peeped in at 
the window. 

“ Jack and Jill wanted to visit you at home,” 
said the Pixie. 

Santa Claus laughed until his big fat sides 
shook. He shook his head. 

No, no, no, they can’t see me. 

Such a thing could never be, 

he said. 

The Pixie said. 

Please take them a little way. 

Riding, Santa, in your sleigh. 

Santa Claus replied. 

You may take them round about. 

But they’ll not find old Santa out! 

[63] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Then with a merry “Ha, ha,” old Santa 
jumped in his sleigh, and was off and away. 

“Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” went the sleigh 
bells. 

“Click, click, click,” went the reindeer 
hoofs. 

Santa Claus was off and away. 

The Pixie danced a funny little dance, then 
he curled up on the door mat and went to sleep. 



[64] 


CHAPTER IX 


morning the Pixie cried: 

See the snow, heigho, heigho, 

To Santa Land we all will go, 

Then Jack and Jill woke up and said, “Oh, 
Pixie, we are so hungry.” 

Then the Pixie said, “At your service, my 
dears; will you have rabbit ears or quail or 
toast?” 

Jack and Jill laughed at this, and the Pixie 
brought in a little table and said, “Join hands 
now, everyone.” 

They all joined hands and danced about the 
table and cried out. 

Coffee, butter, rice, corn cakes. 

Everything a fine cook makes. 

As soon as they said the verse the table was 
loaded with nice things that children like to 
eat. 

They all stood up by the table to eat, for 
they had no chairs. 


[65] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


While they were eating the Pixie sang out, 

vSee the snow, heigho, heigho, 

To Santa Land we all will go. 

Then the Pixie looked hard at Jack and Jill 
and said, “Where are your mittens. Jack? 
Where are your rubbers, Jill?” 

The children said, “We don’t like to wear 
mittens and rubbers, so we left them home!” 

“You want to be left in a snowdrift, do 
you?” said the Pixie. “Mittens and rubbers 
you must have, and no mistake.” 

The Pixie put his hands in his pockets and 
drew out two pairs of mittens. 

“Those look like mine,” said Jill. 

“The other pair look like mine,” said 
Jack. 

“I know them, for there is a hole in one of 
them.” 

“Well, perhaps they are yours,” said the 
Pixie. “I pick up lots of things in your 
house.” 

The Pixie went and got a long, black box. 
He said, “Carry the box and follow me.” 

The black box was as heavy as anything. 

[ 66 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Jack and Jill tugged and pulled away but 
they could not move the box. 

The Pixie touched a spring. The lid of the 
box flew open and Jack and Jill saw pairs and 
pairs of skates ! 

“Take a pair, quick,” said the Pixie. 

Jack and Jill each took a pair of skates and 
the Pixie threw a pair over his shoulder. 

“How can we skate in the snow^?” asked 
Jack, but the Pixie only cried out. 

Come this way, 

Without delay, 

and he led the children out the back way and 
through a long passage. When they got out at 
last they found themselves upon an ice pond. 

My, what fine skating they had ! For miles 
and miles they skated, and then came to the 
edge of the woods, and there stood a sleigh 
waiting for them. 

“Pile in quickly, under the robe,” said the 
Pixie, and the children just jumped in, skates 
and all. 

It was soon night. Away, away, away they 
rode through the forest. 

[67] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The trees got thicker and thicker all the way. 

“They are Christmas trees/’ said Jack. 

“They all need candles and presents,” said 
Jill. 

The Pixie whispered, “What if old Santa 
Claus is not at home*?” 

On, on, on they went through the forest. 

Once a sleigh dashed by them so fast they 
could not see v/ho was in it. 

At last they saw a little house in the dis- 
tance and lights twinkled from every window. 

“Take off your skates, take off your skates,” 
said the Pixie. “ I will give them back to you 
at Christmas time.” 

They took off their skates and got out of the 
sleigh and stood in front of the little house. 

The Pixie said, “Climb up the tin pipe to 
the roof and then down the chimney ! ” 

My, it was fun to go down the chimney! 
There sat Mrs. Santa Claus by the fireplace. 
She was knitting all kinds of mittens. 

“Mercy me, who do I see*?” she cried, hold- 
ing up her hands. 

The Pixie went up and whispered a word or 
two in her ear and Mrs. Santa Claus said, 
[ 68 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



MU 




THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“The dear children, of course they may go to 
my cookie jar.” 

Then the Pixie took the children to the 
cookie jar and they ate cookies until they could 
eat no more. 

Then the Pixie said, “You must follow me 
every minute, skipping along.” 

He led them up a staircase and down a stair- 
case, and in and out of halls, and finally they 
got into a great hall where stood a million 
lighted Christmas trees. 

“Hurry, hurry, don’t stop,” shouted the 
Pixie, and they ran into a hall where stood a 
million stockings full of toys. 

“Hurry, hurry,” said the Pixie again, and 
they came to a room full of dolls and toys and 
candy. 

Jack ran up to an automobile and jumped 
in, and Jill ran up to a lovely doll. 

The children stood very still. 

“Ding, dong,” rang a bell. 

children woke up in their little beds at 

home! 

“How did we get here?” asked Jack. 

“How did we get home?” asked Jill. 

[70] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Jill said, “We were in Santa Claus’ work- 
shop. It was not a dream, was it^” 

Jack said, “We could not have both had the 
same dream, I think.” 

By and by Jill laughed aloud. “I know, I 
know,” she cried. “The Pixie said to keep 
running all the time and we stopped in the 
Toy Shop!” 

Jack rubbed his sleepy eyes. “Mrs. Santa 
Claus makes fine cookies,” he said. 

The children dressed and they told their ad- 
ventures at breakfast that morning. 

Little Mary said, “May I go with you next 
time?” 

Fred said, “You silly little goosies to be- 
lieve in the Pixie; I found you asleep in the 
log house and brought you home ! ” 

Just then a funny little laugh was heard. 

Fred dropped his fork and all through break- 
fast he kept dropping things. 

The Little Mother saw the children looked 
disappointed and she said, “It is best to be- 
lieve in the Pixie near Christmas time; he 
might play a trick on you otherwise.” 

The children shouted and clapped their 
[71] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


hands and said, “Day after tomorrow is 
Christmas and Daddy is coming home, and 
Santa Claus is coming too, and we believe in 
the Pixie/’ 

“I don’t believe in the Pixie,” said Fred. 

He tripped on the rug and nearly fell as 
he left the room. 

Jack and Jill and Mary went out to play. 



[72] 


CHAPTER X 


Merry, merry Christmas 
Comes but once a year, 

Santa brings us presents, 

Soon his bells you’ll hear! 

T T was Christmas Eve and all the children 
^ came in with their stockings. 

“May we hang our stockings up now, 
Mother?’’ they asked. 

Fred said, “I am really too big to hang up 
a stocking.” 

Then a little shrill laugh was heard and the 
children said, “The Pixie is here!” 

The Little Mother said, “Better hurry and 
hang up all the stockings ! ” 

So, the children hung their stockings by the 
fireplace, and then they said, “Tell us a story, 
please. Mother, do tell us a story!” 

The children sat down in their little rock- 
ing chairs by the fireplace, and the Little 
Mother took out her knitting and sat down 
and then began to tell them a story. 

[73] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


She said, “Once upon a time there were 
four children waiting for their Daddy to come 
home, and it was Christmas Eve/’ 

At this very minute there came a thunder- 
ing rap at the front door, and all the chil- 
dren clapped their hands and shouted, 
“Daddy has come home. Daddy has come 
home.” 

They all ran to the door, and there stood 
the expressman with a box. 

The children were so excited that they 
danced up and down and said, “Perhaps 
Daddy is on his way, perhaps he will come 
soon ! ” 

The Little Mother said they must put the 
box under the sofa and not open it until Christ- 
mas morning. 

Then she began to rock and knit, and the 
children said, “Start the story all over again, 
please.” 

So the Little Mother said, “Children in 
the city and country are hanging up their 
stockings by the fireplace tonight, big stock- 
ings, little stockings, middle-sized stockings, 
red stockings, blue stockings, black stockings.” 
[74] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Jack and Jill stood this as long as they 
could, then they cried, “Oh Ma, tell us a real 
story, please ! ” 

At this very minute there was heard a thun- 
dering knock again on the front door. 

The children all ran to the door as be- 
fore, and there stood a beautiful Christmas 
tree. 

There was no one in sight, so the children 
all tugged and pulled, and with Fred’s help 
at last they got the tree inside. 

“Where are the candles?” asked the twins. 

“Where is the pop corn?” asked Fred. 

“Where are the presents?” asked Little 
Mary. 

“Santa Claus forgot to trim the tree I 
guess,” said the Little Mother. 

“Let me trim the tree,” said Fred. 

“ Let us all trim the tree,” shouted the chil- 
dren together. 

The Little Mother got a great dish of pop 
corn and they all sat by the fire making pop 
corn chains. 

They found a box of candles and some 
dolls. 


[75] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



Santa Claus is coming 


My, what fun they had trimming their 
own Christmas tree! 

Every time Fred would put up a candle 
[76] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


the branch of the tree would sway so he could 
hardly fasten it on so that it would stay. 

Some one whistled a merry tune, and the 
children said, “The Pixie is helping us.” 

“Please, can’t we light just one candle?” 
begged the children. 

Mamma said, “No, we will let Santa Claus 
have the fun of lighting them after a while.” 

Then the children said, “Do tell us a 
story.” 

The Little Mother said: 

“Santa Claus is coming soon. He will 
leave his reindeer on the roof, you can im- 
agine the patter, patter, patter of each tiny 
hoof!” 

Just then the doorbell rang and the Little 
Mother said, “I will go this time.” 

There stood a boy with a yellow envelope 
in his hand. 

The Little Mother opened the envelope 
and she laughed until she cried. She would 
not tell the children what she read. “Christ- 
mas secrets,” she said, “Now scamper off to 
bed, and don’t let the Pixie get you!” 

Late that night the Little Mother sat by 
[77] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


the window. Do you think she was sitting 
up for Santa Claus? 

About midnight a carriage drove up and 
out jumped a fat little man in fur from top 
to toe. 

He carried parcels and packages and bun- 
dles. 

He looked very much like Santa Claus. 

The Little Mother ran out to meet him. 

“Welcome home, Daddy,” she said. “You 
are the best Christmas gift we can have.” 

Then Daddy came in and the Little Mother 
said : 

“My, how many packages you brought!” 

Daddy unfastened and took off his fur cap, 
and his fur overcoat, and he and the Little 
Mother sat and talked a long time. 

Then they opened one package and took 
something shining and round and put in the 
toe of each stocking. 

“We must go to bed,” said Daddy, “or 
Santa Claus will be afraid to come in.” 

Then they sat a little longer plotting and 
planning how Daddy should surprise the chil- 
dren next day. 


[78] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Daddy said, “I must have just a peep at 
the children tonight.” 

They took off their shoes and went upstairs 
on tiptoe. My, how the boards in that old 
staircase did creak! 

“Hush, be careful,” they both said, and 
they laughed like children. 

Then that funny Daddy said, “ If the chil- 
dren do wake up they will think I am Santa 
Claus, for they have not seen me for so long.” 

“You have grown a beard just like Santa 
Claus,” the Little Mother said. 

Then Daddy went in to see each of the 
children, and he leaned over each little bed 
and said softly, “I hope Santa Claus will 
bring you all fine presents. I hope he will not 
forget to come.” 

“He never forgets to come,” said the Lit- 
tle Mother, and they went quietly to bed. 

If there had been any one awake in the 
house they would have heard the “patter, 
patter,” of little feet. 

Could it have been the Pixie running round 
on his own business, I wonder^ 


[79] 


CHAPTER XI 


Oh Santa is a jolly elf, 

Merrily sing heigho; 

He fills the stockings full himself, 
Merrily sing heigho. 

\ BOUT two hours after midnight another 

^ little fat man arrived. 

He did not come to the door. 

He did not ring the bell or make any noise ! 

He came down the chimney, of course, puff- 
ing and blowing, for it was very cold. 

“It was a tight squeeze for me that time,” 
he said. 

Then he spied the bundles, and boxes, and 
parcels. 

He went and felt the stockings. He found 
something in the toe of each one. 

“Ho, ho, some one has been here before 
me,” he said. 

“Daddy has come home,” cried a shrill lit- 
tle voice. 


[8o] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



''Hel6 me fll the Stockings, ’ said Santa 


Ct.An.A Pov^ERS WIC^ON 





THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The Pixie was on hand, of course. He 
turned on an electric light, for he knew the 
ways of the house better than Santa Claus. 

‘‘Ah, Pixie, you gave me a scare that time. 
Now to work, young man, help me fill the 
stockings!” said Santa. 

The Pixie was so full of fun he helped 
Santa untie his pack, and he jumped on his 
shoulder and whispered: 

“ Christmas time may come and go, 

I know what’s in the stocking’s toe.” 

Then the Pixie whispered a single word to 
Santa Claus, and Santa Claus said, “It was 
very thoughtful of Daddy, I am sure.” 

When Santa saw the tree half-trimmed he 
chuckled and laughed and said, “The chil- 
dren have been busy themselves.” 

Santa Claus put fine presents on the tree. 

Then the Pixie said, “Take me for a ride 
in your sleigh, please take me for a ride in 
your sleigh!” 

“Jump inside my pack then,” saitl Santa 
Claus, “you are so little and the wind is so 
cold it will freeze you.” 

[82] 


f 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The Pixie crept inside Santa’s pack, and 
soon he was whizzing up the chimney, safe 
on Santa’s back. 

“Tinkle, tinkle, tinkle,” rang the bells, 
“patter, patter, patter,” went the reindeer 
feet, and Santa Claus and the Pixie rode 
safely away over the snow. 

Early next morning Jack and Jill were the 
first to wake up. 

They scrambled out of bed and called, 
“Merry Christmas,” “Merry Christmas,” 
“Santa Claus has come.” 

Then all the children ran down stairs to 
see if Santa Claus had come. 

Pretty soon a funny little man all dressed 
in fur from top to toe peeped out from behind 
the tree and called, “Merry Christmas! catch 
me, children, if you can.” 

Then the children ran after the fat little 
man, but he was too quick for them. He ran 
up stairs, and down stairs, and the children 
chased him all over the house. 

At last the funny little man allowed him- 
self to be caught, and he clasped the children 
in his arms. 


[83] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Jack pulled off his wig and mask and 
shouted : 

“You are our own dear Daddy, you are 
our own dear Daddy!” 

Then Daddy said, “Go back upstairs and 
get into some clothes, quick, before Jack Frost 
gets you, then we will look at our presents.” 

So the children got into their clothes, and 
they all ran down again and cried, “What a 
beautiful Christmas tree! Santa Claus put 
presents upon it for us!” 

Then they all looked at the present Daddy 
had brought them, and they all looked at their 
stockings. 

“I wonder what is in the toe,” said Jack 
and Jill, feeling their stockings. 

The children all felt something small and 
hard in the toe of each stocking. 

It takes a long time you know to get to the 
toe of a stocking, specially when it is brimful 
of presents. 

Fred was the first to get to the toe of his 
stocking, and he drew out a little silver watch. 

He held it up to his ear to see if it was 
really ticking. 


[84] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“We must get to the toe of our stockings,” 
said Jack and Jill and Mary together. 

When at last they got to the toe of their 
stockings they all found they had little silver 
watches with their initials upon them. 

Now, the funny thing about these watches 
was, they all went well except Fred’s. 

Every few minutes Fred’s watch would 
stop. 

“It is very queer,” said Daddy, “I got all 
the watches at the same place.” 

Then the children cried, “The Pixie has 
meddled with Fred’s watch! ” Then they had 
to tell Daddy all about the Pixie. 

Pretty soon the children discovered that 
Daddy had given each one of them a travel- 
ing bag. 

“What will we use these for*?” asked the 
children. 

Then Daddy said, “We are all going to 
take a trip soon. We are going to the Sunrise 
Land.” 

“That is Japan, Japan,” cried Fred. (He 
had studied geography and he knew that 
Japan was called the Sunrise Land.) 

[85] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“May we start at once?” cried the chil- 
dren. 

Daddy said, “We may get caught in a bliz- 
zard before we get East.” 

“Oh,” cried the children, “what fun — 
watches, and traveling bags, and a trip to 
Japan! ” 

The Little Mother said, “I think you have 
the best Daddy that ever lived!” 

“Will the Pixie travel with us?” asked 
Jack and Jill. 

Then everybody laughed. 

Jack and Jill thought they heard the Pixie 
whisper. 

They would not tell what it was. 

I think the Pixie said he was going to have 
business for a while in Eskimo Land. 



[ 86 ] 


CHAPTER XII 


T T was snowing and blowing and snowing. 

“See the big blizzard,” said Bunny Cot- 
ton-tail. 

Susan sat by the fireside nodding over her 
knitting. 

Bunny Bright Eyes said, “Tell us a story, 
grandpa, please do!” 

“Once, when I was young,” began Bunny 
Cotton-tail. 

Susan shook her head and cried, “Bunny 
Cotton-tail, if you talk you know you will 
cough, I will tell the story.” 

Then Bunny Bright Eyes took a stool and 
snuggled up beside Susan, ready to listen to 
the story. 

Susan laid down her knitting and said, 
“There was once a Rabbit who did not like 
to work when she was little.” 

“That was Susan,” said Bunny Bright Eyes. 
Susan looked at him hard over her spec- 
[87] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


tacles. “Now, I will have to begin all over 
again,” she said. 

“ One day I did not want to sweep the floor, 
and I sat pouting on a stool in the* kitchen. 
My mother looked in and said : 

‘ If you believe in Pixie, dear, 

Sweep the floor, he may be near.’ 

I did not take the broom but sat scowling and 
looking out the window. 

“Pretty soon a little brown head appeared 
at the window and a shrill voice cried : 

‘ Pixie now must clean his feet 
If your house is nice and neat.’ 

Then I took the broom and swept the floor as 
fast as I could. 

“My! how the dust did fly! I was in such 
a hurry to get the floor clean, so that the Pixie 
could come in. 

“The Pixie came to the window and cried: 

‘ Oh, Pixie is a merry elf. 

But see the dust upon the shelf.’ 

Then I took a duster and began to dust the 
shelves, and soon thought I had the kitchen 
very clean. 

[ 88 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“Then the Pixie peeped in again and said: 

‘ Wash the dishes, wipe them dry, 

And I will come in by and by.’ 

So I washed and wiped the dishes, and just 
then my mother came in. I think she scared 
the Pixie away.” 

“What did your mother say?” asked 
Bunny Bright Eyes. 

“My mother said, ‘Oh you naughty girl, 
wake up and do the sweeping I told you to!’ ” 

“ Oh, oh, so you fell asleep and it was all a 
dream,” said Bunny Bright Eyes, laughing. 

Bunny Bright Eyes laughed so hard he 
rolled olf his stool, but he said he was not hurt 
the least bit. 

“Do you believe in Pixies, grandpa?” he 
said. 

Bunny Cotton-tail nodded. 

“ Once, when I was young,” he said. 

Susan cried, “No, no. Bunny, if you talk I 
will have to give you more cough syrup.” 

Bunny Bright Eyes said over and over, 
“How I do wish I could see a Pixie. How 
I do wish I could see a Pixie !” 

“If a Pixie came today he could never get 
[89] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


up our walk,” said Susan. “See the big snow- 
drifts!” 

Then Bunny Bright Eyes slipped quietly 
out of the room. 

Now what do you suppose that cunning lit- 
tle fellow was going to do? 

He put on his rubber boots and his fur cap 
and his coat and mittens. 

Then he got a snow-shovel and hummed a 
merry little tune. 

He began to shovel off the walk and sang: 

Who is so merry, heigho, heigho, 

As a wee Bunny I know, I know. 

Pixie may come or Pixie may go, 

How I enjoy shovelling snow! 

Somehow the snow did not seem nearly as 
heavy as usual, and when he got the path 
shovelled to the gate, he stooped down and 
saw something glittering in the snow. 

Now, what do you suppose it was? 

It was a new, bright penny! 

Bunny Bright Eyes went whistling into 
the house. 

“Oh grandma, see what I have found,” he 
said, “oh grandpa, see what I have found!” 

[90] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 





cans 


unny 















THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“Once when I was young/’ began Bunny 
Cotton-tail. But Susan shook her head as be- 
fore. 

“ Bless my buttons,” she cried, “ look at the 
snow on this youngster! Out into the hall 
this minute, or I cannot brush you off.” 

Then Bunny Bright Eyes went into the 
hall, and Susan got a broom and she brushed 
his coat and his boots, and soon he was as dry 
as ever. 

Late that evening Bunny Bright Eyes said, 
“I hear the patter of little feet.” 

“ Once, 'when I was young,” began Bunny 
Cotton-tail. 

“Visitors, in a big snow storm, that is ab- 
surd,” said Susan. 

“Tinkle, tinkle,” rang the doorbell. It was 
a very faint ring indeed. 

Bunny Bright Eyes went to the door. 

He looked about but saw no one. 

“I heard the bell ring,” said Susan. “Go 
again and see if some one is there.” 

Bunny Bright Eyes went again, but he saw 
no one. 

Just as soon as he sat down, “Tinkle, tin- 
[92] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


kle, tinkle,” went the doorbell again. This 
time when he went he looked at the door han- 
dle and there hung a basket. 

He took the basket inside. 

He saw a card on the top of the basket, and 
he danced up and down and cried, “From the 
Pixie, from the Pixie.” 

Susan said, “The Pixie was here after 
all !” 

Bunny looked at the card, and Susan looked 
at the card, and sure enough, it did say, “From 
the Pixie.” 

Then Bunny Cotton-tail said, “What is in 
the basket?” 

He reached in and took out an apple, and 
Susan reached in and took out an orange, and 
Bunny Bright Eyes took out a pineapple. 

They all were very merry indeed. 

When Bunny Bright Eyes went to bed that 
night he dreamed about the Pixie. 

He thought the Pixie came in and said, “I 
have come for the penny I lost. I must find 
my bright, new, penny.” 

Next morning when Bunny Bright Eyes 
woke up he looked under his pillow for the 
[93] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


new penny he had found, and he looked in his 
coat pocket, but the penny was gone! 

‘‘Oh, dear, I believe the Pixie was here 
again, and I did not see him after all,” he 
cried. 

Just then Susan called, “I borrowed your 
new penny. Bunny Bright Eyes, I borrowed 
it to pay the milkman.” 

Bunny Bright Eyes blinked very hard. 

He was not sure whether he was awake or 
dreaming. 

At just that minute a funny little fellow 
peeped in at the door and a shrill voice cried : 

A Pixie always likes to tease, 

And change his shape, too, if you please, 

Of five-cent pieces I have many; 

So, I present to you this penny. 

Then the Pixie rolled the penny on the floor. 
It rolled right to Bunny Bright Eyes. 

“I will put the penny in the bank this 
time,” he said. 

He looked about to thank the Pixie, but 
he was gone. 


CHAPTER XIII 



NE day the wind blew from the east. 


When the wind blew from the east the 
Pixie felt cross. He said, “A storm is coming 
up, I feel it in my bones.” 

Then he began to whistle a little tune. 
He always whistled when he felt lone- 
some. 

“I wonder what is the matter with me?” 
he said, “I just believe I will go and ask 
Grandpa Pixie.” 

What do you suppose that lonesome Pixie 
did next? 

He put on his raincoat and his long rubber 
boots, and went away, away, away, over the 
hills and valleys until he came to the deep 
woods. 

Then he sat down on a stone and cried 
twice over : 


Open to me, open to me, 

I am a Pixie, as all can see 


[95] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 







THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The grandpa Pixie, who lived underground, 
said : 

Bring me a cane, strong and new, 

Before I open my door to you. 

Then the Pixie knew it was no use talking, 
he must get the old grandpa a cane, or he 
would not let him come underground. 

The Pixie rattled six new pennies in his 
pocket. 

“I wonder who will sell me a cane for six 
pennies?” he said. 

He went to the nearest store in the village 
^nd asked to buy a cane. 

The clerk said, “I am sure you have not 
money enough to buy a cane, you are such a 
tiny fellow.” 

Then the strangest thing happened. 

The Pixie touched the cane and it began to 
dance about the store. 

The clerk was so frightened that he ran out 
of the store, and the Pixie followed him, and 
the cane danced after the Pixie. 

Soon a crowd was running down street. 

The Pixie said to himself, “How will I 
ever get rid of all these children?” 

[97] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The cane cried out, “I can beat them, I 
can beat them all.” 

Then the cane ran after the children and 
began to beat them and they all ran quickly 
away. 

Soon the Pixie and the cane were alone in 
the deep wood. 

They came to the same stone as before, and 
the Pixie called: 

Grandpa dear, the cane is found. 

May I now come underground? 

The old grandpa replied: 

I cannot hear quite all you said; 

Has it indeed a golden head? 

Now the Pixie knew there was no use minc- 
ing matters when the old grandpa talked to 
him, so he took the cane and went into the 
nearest village, and cried to a jeweler: 

Put a golden head, I say. 

On this cane, by break of day. 

It was evening and the jeweler was in bed 
in his own house, but he dare not disobey the 
Pixie, so he got up and dressed, and went to 
his shop and put a gold head on the cane. 

[98] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The Pixie stood watching him and said: 

When you’re in trouble, call on me; 

I’ll come, tho far across the sea. 

The jeweler smiled and thanked the Pixie 
and he was gone. 

This time when the Pixie came to the stone, 
he just rapped on the stone with the cane and 
it rolled away. 

There was a hole and a little ladder lead- 
ing under ground. 

The Pixie went down the ladder, and the 
cane followed him, and walked right into the 
old gentleman’s hand. Grandpa Pixie was so 
pleased he said: 

Come with me, come and see. 

Many and many a mystery. 

They went into a room where there were 
nineteen little dwarfs, all spinning cocoons 
for caterpillars; then they went into a room 
where there were nineteen little dwarfs all 
watering the roots of the thirsty flowers. 

Then they went into a room where nine- 
teen dwarfs were teaching birds to sing. The 
Pixie called out: 


[99] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



One little dwarf stam;^ed his foot 


I am a Pixie, ha, ha, ho, ho. 

How are the dwarfs, I’d like to know? 

The nineteen dwarfs in this room shook 
their heads and replied: 

We are not as happy as we look, 

For we do sadly need a cook. 

The Pixie was kind hearted and he said: 

I will remember what you say. 

And try to find a cook some day. 

[loo] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


One little dwarf stamped his foot and 
twirled his long beard round and round and 
cried : 

I cannot teach this young blue jay 
To sing or recite a word I say. 

At last the Pixie was tired and he and the 
old grandpa sat down on some leaves to 
rest. 

The Pixie heaved a great sigh and the old 
grandpa said, “What is the matter with 
you?’’ 

Just then there was a great rapping and 
tapping heard outside, and one of the little 
dwarfs put his head inside and said, “The 
Pixie is wanted at once at the jeweler’s.” 

The Pixie remembered his promise to the 
jeweler, and he did not even stop to tell the 
old grandpa good-bye. 

He ran to the jeweler’s as fast as his legs 
would carry him. 

The jeweler’s shop was on fire! 

Men were trying to put the fire out. 

Then the Pixie sang at the top of his voice : 

You are strong and bold, you can fight, I know. 

Brave are the firemen, brave, ho, ho! 

[loi] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Then the firemen lifted the heavy hose and 
tried once more to put the fire out. 

By and by the fire was all out. 

“Who called us brave?” asked one of the 
firemen. 

No one seemed to know it was the Pixie. 
The Pixie saw the fire was out and he ran back 
to the stone, calling: 

Let me in, old Grandpa, do. 

The Pixie has come back to you. 

The old grandpa cried: 

How do I know it is really you. 

Unless you bring me a pumpkin or two? 

The Pixie rubbed his eyes and thought, 
“Where can I get a pumpkin at this time of 
the year?” 

He went back to town and looked in one 
cellar after another, and at last got a large 
yellow pumpkin. 

It was all he could possibly move. 

He went off with it, rolling it in front of 
him. 

He cried when he reached the stone: 

Open to me, open to me; 

I have a pumpkin, as you shall see. 

[ 102 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Then the stone rolled aside and the old 
grandpa said: 

Send the pumpkin down to me, 

Send it down where I can see. 

This the Pixie did, and followed down the 
ladder. The nineteen little dwarfs from each 
room danced round and cried: 

Who will make a pumpkin pie. 

Nineteen dwarfs here can but try. 

They made so much noise that the old 
grandpa was angry. He waved his cane at 
them and cried out : “ Off with you, off with 
you.” 

The nineteen little dwarfs ran off with the 
pumpkin. When all was still once more the 
old grandpa looked hard at the Pixie and then 
said : 

‘‘You are lonesome for the children.” 

The Pixie danced up and down, for now at 
last he knew what was the matter. He wanted 
to see Jack and Jill. He wanted to see Fred 
and Mary. 

He said, “I will go to Japan. I will write 
to those dear children at once.” 

[103] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


He sat down and wrote this letter: 


Dear Jack and Jill: — 

I am so homesick for you all, I am coming 
to see you soon. You may be on the watch 
out for me, 

Your friend. 

Pixie. 


Then the Pixie gave the letter into the 
hands of the nineteen little dwarfs to send. 
They made nineteen little bows and went out 
to carry the letter. 

“The children will perhaps get that letter 
on St. Valentine’s Day,” said the old grandpa 
with a chuckle. 

“That is not my fault,” said the Pixie, and 
he went away singing a merry tune. 



CHAPTER XIV 


T T was the fourteenth of February. 

^ Jack and Jill had many valentines. 

Mary had valentines, too. 

Fred had a comic valentine. 

This valentine had a picture of a Pixie on 
it and the following verse : 

Lazy bones, Lve heard it said, 

Never likes to rise from bed. 

Lazy bones won’t get ahead. 

And I’ve heard his name is Fred. 

When Fred came in and read his valentine, 
the children clapped their hands with delight 
and said, “ It is from the Pixie. It surely must 
be from the Pixie.” 

“How does he know I like to lie in bed?” 
asked' Fred. 

The Little Mother looked wise, and Daddy 
coughed three times. Daddy said, “I have 
something here in my pocket that may interest 
you all. It is from America ! ” 

[105] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


He pulled out an envelope. 

“ Open it, open it,” shouted the children. 

“Some one is playing a joke on you,” said 
Fred. “I don’t believe in the old Pixie.” 

Then the oddest thing happened! 

Fred’s chair tipped and he fell backward, 
but he was not hurt at all. 

“I wish you could keep your chair down on 
four legs,” said the Little Mother. 

Daddy looked at Fred over his spectacles. 
“Don’t say too much about the Pixie,” he said, 
“for he might hear you!” 

Then Daddy read the Pixie’s letter. The 
children did not know whether it was a joke 
or not, blit they went dancing out to play and 
they were happy all day thinking about their 
old friend the Pixie. 

When supper time came Daddy said, “My 
business is done in Japan, we will go home 
tomorrow ! ” 

“Oh, oh, oh,” cried the children, “will we 
miss the Pixie*? He was coming to see us, 
will we miss the Pixie?” 

Daddy said, “Oh, don’t worry about the 
Pixie, he can find us anywhere.” 

[io6] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The Little Mother stood at the door, she 
did not come in to supper. 

“Where can Fred be^?” she asked. 

The children said, “We have not seen him 
since noon.” ♦ 

Daddy said, “We had better eat our rice 
before it gets cold.” 

They sat down and ate their supper, and 
still Fred did not come. 

Daddy put on his hat and went out to look 
for Fred. 

The Little Mother was so anxious about 
Fred she took little Mary and went out to help 
look. 

Jack and Jill sat alone in the house. 

“What if the Pixie should come?” said 
Jack. 

“What if the Pixie should come?” said 
Jill. 

Just then they heard some one singing with 
a happy voice : 

Over the waters deep and blue, 

I’ve traveled many a mile to you. 

Jack and Jill ran to the door, but they could 
[ 107] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


see no one. Then they heard the same voice 
sing: 

I’ve neither parasol or fan, 

To use in the Island of Japan. 

Then they looked out the window, but they 
could see no one. Suddenly Jack and Jill 
turned around and looked behind the screen 
and there stood the Pixie! 

He had his little hands behind him. He 
was dancing to and fro. He cried: 

Which hand do you choose, which hand do you choose? 
If you choose wrong: you will surely lose. 

Jack said, “I choose the right hand.” 

Jill said, “I choose the left hand.” 

Then the Pixie sat down on the floor. He 
made Jack and Jill sit down with him. 

He took from behind his back two little 
paper bags. 

He opened first one bag, then the other. 

He rolled a gumdrop to Jack and one to 
Jill. 

He rolled the gumdrops just as if they were 
little balls. 

“May we eat them^?” asked Jack and Jill. 
[io8] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 





THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The Pixie rolled his eyes in a comical way 
and replied, “No, they were made for pin 
cushions. 

The children knew he was joking, so they 
ate the gumdrops. The Pixie rolled some 
more gumdrops out of the bag. 

“Where have you been all this time?” 
asked Jack. 

The Pixie replied: 

To a little wee fellow all dressed in fur, 

I went one pleasant day; 

Just give a guess and nod your head. 

And then his name you’ll say. 

“You went to see Bunny Cotton-tail,” 
shouted Jack and Jill together. 

The Pixie nodded. 

“Where else have you been?” asked Jill. 

Then the Pixie said in a whisper: 

To a little wee house underground, 

Where dwarfs and treasures all are found. 

“Oh, oh,” cried Jack and Jill, “did you go 
to see old Grandpa Pixie?” 

The Pixie laughed and said, “The old 
Grandpa Pixie was in a good mood this time, 
and he did not bite my ears off! ” 

[no] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 

Just then footsteps were heard outside. 

“Don’t go away,” the children begged, “we 
will hide you behind a screen.” 

The Pixie slipped behind a screen. 

There was a tap at the door and Jack and 
Jill went together. 

There stood at the door a Japanese Girl. 
She left her shoes outside the door. She came 
inside. She bowed low and said, “Your hon- 
orable mother and sister will stay with me 
for the night, and they beg to know if your 
honorable brother is found.” 

Jack and Jill bowed low. 

They had learned much politeness from the 
Japanese. They gave the Japanese girl a cup 
of tea and told her that Fred had not come 
home. 

Then by and by the Japanese girl went 
home. 

The Pixie peeped round the screen and 
said, “Is it safe for me to come out now?” 

Just then a heavy footstep was heard and 
the children knew that their papa was coming 
home. 

The Pixie hid behind the screen again. 

[Ill] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



Papa said, “Has Fred come home?” 

Before Jack or Jill had a chance to reply, 
a little voice said: 

I have very often heard it said. 

That sometimes children are in bed. 

Papa went to look, and there sure enough 
lay Fred in his own bed fast asleep. He had 
been away a while fishing. 

The children called to the Pixie to come 
out, but as he did not do so they looked behind 

[ II2] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


the screen and saw only a large black cat lick- 
ing its face. 

“Where did you come from^?” asked Jack. 

The cat only said, “Meow,” and ran to the 
door. 

“She looks so fierce, we had better let her 
out,” said Jill. 

So they opened the door, and the cat ran 
outside. 

“I wonder what could have become of the 
Pixie?” said Jack. 

“ I wonder if he could have turned into the 
black cat?” said Jill. 

The children went to bed. 

In the morning they found two little cookies 
under their pillows. 

There were names on the cookies written 
in colored sugar. 

On one cookie was the name, “Jack;” on 
the other was the name, “Jill.” 



CHAPTER XV 


N ext day Papa said, “I have finished 
my work in Japan; we will sail away 
home/’ 

Such a hurrying and scurrying as there was 
to get packed up. 

At last the day came when they all went 
on board the ship to sail home. 

The ship was called the America, 

The children stood on deck and waved their 
handkerchiefs and shouted ‘‘Good-bye, good- 
bye,” to the little Japs on shore. 

Did the children have a good time on the 
ship*? Well, I guess they did. They ran races 
on deck and they went into the cabin and the 
Captain told them stories. 

At last the America arrived in port and 
every one was glad to get home. 

When they came to their own house the Lit- 
tle Mother said, “Gracious, I forgot to tell 
the cook to be here ! ” 


[114] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Papa said, “ Dear me, I cannot find the door 
key ! ” 

Fred said, “I will climb in one of the win- 
dows,’' but it seemed that all the windows 
were locked. 

Then Jack and Jill and little Mary cried, 
“Oh, what fun; we cannot get into our own 
house ! ” 

They sat down on Fred’s suit case and 
waited. 

Papa and Little Mother and Fred went 
round to the back of the house to try to get in. 

Just then a shrill voice cried: 

Close your eyes and soon you’ll see, 

What can be done with a little key; 

Open when I say one, two, three, ' 

Turn in the lock, oh, little key. 

The children did as they were told. They 
closed their eyes until the Pixie called out, 
“one, two, three,” then they opened their 
eyes. 

The Pixie was nowhere to be seen, but the 
front door stood wide open! 

“How did it get open?” asked Papa and 
the Little Mother. 


[115] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


“Perhaps it was the Pixie,’’ suggested Fred. 

Papa said, “I will make a fire.” 

The Little Mother said, “I will get us a 
fine meal.” 

The children were so glad to get home they 
ran all over the house. 

Soon they had a fine meal ready, and every 
one was hungry you may be sure. 

When evening came they all went to bed 
early. 

Jack and Jill were not as sleepy as the rest. 

They lay awake and talked in whispers. 

“Do you suppose the Pixie is in the 
house*?” 

“Do you suppose he will come*?” 

By and by they heard a voice say: 

Will you travel on land or sea, 

The Pixie is here and he is free. 

“Why, hello, were you ever a prisoner*?” 
asked Jack and Jill. 

The Pixie made his best bow and said: 

I can’t talk nonsense all the time, 

I just said that to make words rhyme. 

Jack and Jill said, “We are not one speck 
tired, take us somewhere tonight, please.” 

[ii6] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 







■>i:HW- 




tt *K% ywib^ot^ 









THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


The Pixie said, “Hurry up and I will take 
you right along, if you will throw on these 
little capes.’’ 

Then Jack put on a green cape that the 
Pixie handed him, and Jill put on a green 
cape the Pixie handed her, and they stepped 
out the window and climbed down a tree. 
Then the Pixie said: 

On an adventure we are bound, 

Be careful not to make a sound. 

The Pixie called an airship and they all 
got into it and sailed away and away and 
away! 

Suddenly the airship began to sink down, 
down, down, and, will you believe it? it never 
stopped until they were way down under- 
ground ! 

The King of the Underground World cried 
out sleepily, “Who comes here, at this time 
of year?” 

The Pixie said: 

Fve brought you flowers, if you please. 

And they resemble little trees. 

[ii8] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


Jack and Jill bowed low, and the Pixie 
whispered, “Stand still, if you please/’ He 
waved his magic wand and the King fell fast 
asleep.” 

“We shall have to hurry for he may awake,” 
said the Pixie. “Off now to the treasure- 
room.” 

Outside the treasure-room sat an old witch. 
When the Pixie asked her to open the door 
for him she said : 

I do not care to let you in, 

You are too fat or else too thin. 

The Pixie just waved his magic wand and 
the old witch fell asleep. The old witch said 
as she fell asleep: 

You may laugh and shout, 

But you can’t get out. 

The Pixie followed the children inside the 
treasure-room. 

Jack and Jill clapped their hands with de- 

light. 

There were ninety million necklaces, and 
fifty million gold watches, and forty million 
[119] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


bracelets, and sixty million rings in the treas- 
ure-room. 

The children had never seen such treasures 
in all their lives. 

“Help yourselves,” said the Pixie, “we can 
stay here a quarter of an hour.” 

Then Jack and Jill filled the pocKets of 
their capes with jewels until they could hold 
no more. 

“Time is up,” said the Pixie. He went 
to the door. It was locked and would not 
open. The Pixie shouted to the witch out- 
side: 

“Open up the door old witch or I will 
drown you!” 

The Witch said sleepily: 

I am perfectly willing to let you shout. 

But I think I’ll never let you out. 

They were wondering what to do, when the 
King woke up and cried out for something to 
eat. He beat his servants and walked down 
to the treasure-room. He heard the Pixie 
then shout at the top of his lungs: 

Open the door and let me out, 
ril cook for you without a doubt. 

[ 120 ] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 



Then the King beat the old Witch and 
made her open the door, and the Pixie and 
Jack and Jill ran out, and they ran by the 
King so fast he could not say a word. 

They ran this way, and that way, and were 
soon at the door of the cave. 

There stood the airship outside waiting for 
them. 


[I2l] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


They could hear the patter, patter, patter 
of the King’s feet after them. 

Whisk, bound, they got up a ladder and 
were in the airship off and away. 

The Pixie said: 

That was a narrow escape, I suppose ; 

I was scared from my heels to the tip of my nose. 

Somehow the air made Jack and Jill so 
sleepy they could not keep their eyes open. 

They knew nothing more that happened 
until next morning they awoke under their 
own cherry tree at home! 

The Little Mother listened to their story 
and cried, “You darling twins, did you walk 
in your sleep?” 

“Did you take any cold? How did you 
get out of the window without falling?” 
asked Papa. 

Fred said, “Where did you get your funny 
capes?” 

The children said, “The pockets are full 
of jewels, but they looked in the pockets of 
the capes and found them quite empty. 

The Little Mother said, “I will put a screen 
[122] 


THE PIXIE IN THE HOUSE 


at the window and open it only from the top. 
We cannot have Jack and Jill walk in their 
sleep.” 

The children were afraid when night time 
came that the Pixie could not get in, but just 
as they were falling asleep they saw a familiar 
little face and a voice cried: 

Good folks may try without a doubt, 

To keep a jolly Pixie out, 

But as long as you’re merry and do not tease, 

I will creep in whenever I please. 

I wonder where Jack and Jill went with the 
Pixie next time*? I do not know, for I forgot 
to ask them. 





















